Machine for treating quill substance.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. WEBSTER. MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

APPLICATION PILEDHOW 14. 1904; Q

nu: NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, b..c4

PATENTBD NOV. 20, 1906.

W. WEBSTER. v MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

.A P PLIOATION FILED NOV 14. I904.

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PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

No 836,420 v w. WEBSTER;

MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV=14;'1904.

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THE NORRIS P215125 cc., WASHINGTON, n, c.

No. 836,420. PATENTBD NOV.,20, 1906. W. WEBSTER.

MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

APPLIOATIOKIILED 110E1 1. 1904.

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1'": NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W.IWEB$TER. MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

A PILIOATION FILED NOV, 14. 1904.

11 SHEETSSHEET 5.

' 1 "In .IIIIIM ms NORRIS PETERS 0a., WASHINGTON, n c.

No. s36,420.-- 'PATENTED Nov, 20, 1906;

W. WEBSTER,

MACHINE FOR TREATI'N ILL SUBSTANCE.

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1m: NORRIS PETERS ca, wnsnmarau D c PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. WEBSTER.

MACHINE FORTREATING QUIL'L SUBSTANCE.

PLIOATION FILED H0114. 1904..

' 11 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

THE NORRIS PETERS cs4, WASHINGTON o. c,

a PATENTED 510V. .20, 19.06.

W. WEBSTER. MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 14. 1904.

11 SEBETPv-BBBBT 8- H0: Nomm: PETERS co., WASHINGTON, v. c

N0- 83'6,420. PATBNTED NOV. 20, 1906, W. WEBSTER. MAGHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. 1904.

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No. 836,420. .PATBNTED NOV. 20, 1906. w. WEBSTER. v

MACHINE FOR TREATING'QUILL SUBSTANCE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, 14; 1904.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 10 .THE zvcmms PETERS co., wasnma'mzv, n a I No. 836,420. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906-.

W WEBSTER.

MACHINE FOR TREATING QUILL SUBSTANCE. APPLIOATION 21mm No.v,14 .,19o4.

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WILLIAM WVEBSTER, OF LONDON,

EDWARD K. WVARREN, OF

ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THREE OAKS, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR TREATING QUlLL SUBSTANCE.

no. 836A20. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed November 14.,1904. Serial No. 232,757.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WEBSTER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Treating Quill Substance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for treating quills in the manufacture of what is commercially known as featherbone, a substance designed to fill the office of flexible resilient stays in connection with various classes of dress goods. In the preparation and manufacture of quills into articles of this nature the quill is first split and then thoroughly stripped of its contained pith. Thereafter the longitudinal sections of the quill thus cleaned are fibered-that is, further split longitudinally into a number of thin narrow slivers or fibers lying side by side, with the end portions of successive bunches of fibers overlapped and intermixed, so as to create a continuous line of substantially uniform caliber, to which is applied a winding or covering of thread to mechanically bind the fibers together. Thereafter the strip thus created is immersed in a specially-prepared glue or cement and then dried, which im parts a uniformity of structure and strength, cohering all the parts together into a practically integral mass and at the same time preserving the natural elastic quality or resiliency of the original material. Thereafter the'strip is often provided with a cloth or other covering, whereupon it is fitted to serve the general purposes of an elastic stay. In the practical manufacture of this substance as at present carried out the splitting of the quills, the stripping of the pith therefrom, the fibering of the split and cleaned sections, and the wrapping or winding of the fibered quills have generally been performed by separate machines in separate and distinct operations, thus requiring the expenditure of considerable time and the services of a large number of operators in the practical manufacture of the substance on a considerable scale.

My present invention has for its general and principal object to facilitate the manufacture'of the material described by combining the performance of the several operations hereinabove described in a single ma- I chine in which these several operations may l be rapidly and successively carried out, whereby to economize in respect to both the time required for the manufacture of a given quantity of material and also in respect to the labor and expense therein.

Briefly stated, therefore, my invention may be said to reside in a machine for treating quills wherein the splitting of the quills,- the elimination of the pith, the fibering, and the wrapping or winding are all performed successively in the order named, the. machine also including a mechanism for feeding the quills successively to the splitting mechquills on from one mechanism to the'neXt, and mechanism for receiving and laying the wound'product on suitable rollers or spools.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a machine capable of carryng out the operations described and embodying my invention in the best mechanical form which I have thus far devised after numerous tests and experiments, and, referring thereto- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a similar view, on an enlarged scale, with the winding and spooling mechanism omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the machine with the spooling mechanisi'n omitted. Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the machine. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the main table or platform, show ing the main shaft with parts of the driving mechanism of the pith-cutters and fibering devices above the same and a diagram of the underlying gears which actuate the feed-rolls of the winders. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, in front elevation, of the fibering or slivering mechanism and the devices for actuating the same. Fig. 7 illustrates in side elevation a convenient arrangement of overhead belt-and-pulley driving mechanism for imparting motion directly to the main shaft and the pith-cutter shafts of the machine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged edge'elevational view of the quill-feeding mechanism. Figs. 9 andlO are detail edge and plan views of one of theduplicate peripherally -flatt ened quill feeding disks constituting a part of the quill feeding mechanism. Fig. 1] is a diagrammatic plan view of the intermeshing gearsnnderlying the bed-plate of the machine and drivin the rotating elements of the superposetld u'ill feedinga'nd Iibering devices. Fig. 121s anism, intermediate means for passing the gitudinal sectional view through the spooling mechanism, illustrating the friction-drive for the spools. Fig. 13 is a detail elevational view, partly in section, of the feeding mechanism of the winders. Fig. 14 is a detail side elevational view of the means for separating the feed-rolls of said winder-feed mechanism. Fig. 15 is a detail vertical sectional view through the fibering or slivering mechanism with the cutters thereof appearing in edge elevation. Figs. 16, 17, 18, and 19 are respectively top plan, bottom plan, frontedge, and rear edge views of the lower partition plate of the fibering mechanism. Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view on the line 20 20 of Fig. 16. Fig. 21 is a top plan view of a pair of spacers and underlying cutters such as are em loyed between the lower partition-plate an the upperpartition-plate. Figs.22, 23, 24, and 25 are respectively top plan, bottom plan, front edge, and rear edge views of the upper partition-plate of the fibering mechanism; and Fig. 26 is a top plan view corresponding to Fig. 21 of the spacers and underlying cutters employed above the upper partition-plate.

Before proceeding to a detail description of the machine I will first briefiy outline in a general way the organization of the machine, naming the several mechanisms and the order in which they cooperate. The entire mechanism is superposed upon a flat horizontal table or platform, the principal operating parts of the machine being carried by a bedplate supported on suitable standards upon and above said table or platform. At one end of the supporting-frame is mounted a quill-feeding mechanism from which the stripped quills are advanced one at a time upon a quill-splitting blade, whence the two halves of the quill are fed in opposite direc tions past a pair of rotary cutters, which clean the inner surfaces of the quill-sections of the pith. Thence the cleaned sections are advanced, one in a substantially direct line and the other by a roundabout course, so as to cause them to overlap longitudinally, between a pair of feed-rolls and a longitudinal guide-channel to the action of a fibering or slivering mechanism which splits the quills longitudinally into a mass of fibers or slivers and immediately thereafter divides the mass of fibers or slivers thus formed into a plurality of separate bundles which are led off independently into and through the throats or receiving-tubes of a series of winders situated at different angles behind and converging toward the discharge side of the fibering mechanism. In these winders the several bundies of fibered stock are wound about by a suitable thread to bind them together into a continuous cord, the winders themselves being provided with feed-rolls which serve to draw the cords through the winders at a suitable rate of speed to effect the proper winding.

From the winders the wound cords pass rearwardly of the machine over a reciprocating guiding mechanism to and around a series of receiving-spools, on which they are wound in successive layers.

Proceeding now to a detailed description of the machine and of the several cooperating mechanisms of which it is composed, 1 designates a rectangular horizontal table or platform supported at its four corners on legs 2.

3 designates a horizontal bed-plate supported upon and above the table 1 on standards 4, most of which are omitted from the drawings for the sake of greater clearness.

Describing first the quill supporting and feeding mechanism, 5 designates a, horizontal lateral extension of the bed-plate 3 from which rise at longitudinally-separated points pairs of inner and outer guide-rods 6 and 7, respectively, thetwo rods of each pair being spaced sufliciently to receive between them a stack made up of a series of super osed stripped quills 8. Inwardly of the guides 6 there rises from the bed-plate a post 9, which has a deep longitudinal groove 10 on that side adjacent to the guides 6, the lower end of which groove is continued through the post in the form of a feed-slot 11 of sufficient size to admit the passage therethrough of the lowermost of the series of quills. The post 9 is preferably surmounted by a removable guide-hopper 12, having outwardly-flaring walls adapted to readily receive and guide into the vertical groove of the post the advance or blunt ends of the quills. From the foregoing it will be seen that the stack of quills is supported and guided at its inner end by the grooved post 9 and intermediate its length by the inner and outer guide-posts .6 and 7.

In order to effect the downward feed of the individual quills of the stack as fast as each lowermost quill is withdrawn, I employ means for maintaining a constant downward pressure on the stack of quills, the means herein shown for this purpose consisting of a bar 13, disposed behind the stack and having pivoted to the ends thereof fingers 14, which overlie the upper quill crosswise thereof, to which bar is secured a depending rod 15,pass ing through and guided in the bed-plate eX- tension 5 and platform 1 and terminating in a weight 16.

In order to make the bar 13 readilyretractible past a fresh stack of quills, the fingers 14 are normally spring-pressed downwardly or inwardly toward the plane of the bar 13 by springs 17, their movement in the opposite direction under the action of the weight resisted by the quills being limited by stoppins 18, Figs. 2 and 8 This construction enables a fresh stack of quills to be loaded into the quill-holder and the quill-depressing bar to be subsequently raised and engaged with the uppermost quill, the rounded upper edges of the fingers 14 riding idly against, the 1 form similar operations upon the split halves inner sides of the quills during such upward movement.

Describing next the mechanism for feeding forward into the machine the successive quills of the stack as fast as each assumes the low: ermost positions, 19 and 19 designate a pair of duplicate feed-rolls that are mounted in the same horizontal plane on the upper ends of shafts 20 and 20 journaled vertically in the bed-plate 3. These disks, as more particularly shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, are provided with grooved peripheries 19 and each has a portion of such grooved periphery cut away or flattened, as shown at 19. The disks are so positioned in the horizontal plane of the feed slot or throat 11 that the lines of their maximum peripheries coincide or contact in the path of movement of the lowermost quill, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby as the rear ends of the flattened portions 19 come together upon the quill the latter is clamped between the grooved peripheries of said disks and advanced thereby until the other ends of the flattened portions coincide, thus bringing said flattened portions opposite each other and releasing the tail of the quill. From the slot or throat 11 the nose of the quill enters the grip of a pair of feed-rolls 21 21, mounted in the same horizontal plane on the upper surface of the bed-plate 3, said rolls being keyed on the upper ends of a pair of vertical shafts 22 22', mounted in the bedplate 3. From the grip of said rolls the quill passes directly upon the point of a knifeblade 23, adjustably held by a set-screw 24 in a supporting-block 25, so as to lie longitudinally of the advancing quill and centrally of its path of movement, whereby the quill is split longitudinally into halves. One of these halves, making a turn of substantially a right angle to the right, is engaged by and fed between the feed-roll 21 and a companion feed-roll 26, keyed on the upper end of a shaft 27, vertically ournaled in the bed-plate 3, whence it passes between the periphery of a rotary cutter-head 28 and a guide-block 29 opposite the periphery of said cutter and adjustable toward and from the latter by a setscrew 30, mounted in a fixed block 31 and engaging the guide-block 29. The rotary cutter-head 28 is keyed on the upper end of a shaft 32, j ournaled vertically in the bedplate 3. On the opposite side of the knife 23 is a feed-disk 26*, mounted on a vertical shaft 27 and cooperating with the feed-disk 21 to carry forward the left-hand half of the split quill into the field of action of a rotary cutter-head 28", mounted on a vertical shaft 32 and cooperating with a guide-block 29 adjustable toward and from the periphery of the cutter by means of set-screw 30, mounted in the stationary guide-block 31. The parts 21 to 32 and 21 to 32*, respectively,

iereinabove described are duplicates and perl of the quill, their function being to advance 1 the latter and thoroughly clean it of its contained pith by the action of the cutters 28 and 28. The directions of rotation of the cutter-disks are indicated by the arrows placed thereon, from which it will be seen that the quill-engaging portion of each cutter travels in the same direction as the quill itself, the cutting-disks being provided with oblique peripheral teeth which effectually eat out the body of pith contained in each half of the quill.

From the pith-cutter 28 the cleaned half of the quill passes through a tubular guide channel 33 to the nip of another pair of peripherally-milledcorrugated feed-rolls 34 and 34 keyed on the upper ends of shafts 35 and 35 respectively, rotatively mounted in the bed-plate 3, and from the rotary pith-cutter 28 the other half of the clean ed quill. advances through a curved tubular guide 36 between a pair of forwarding feed-rolls 37 and 37 keyed on the upper ends of shafts 38 and 38, whence it is passed through another tubular guide 39, so disposed relatively to the companion guide 33 as to form with the latter convergent paths for the two halves of the cleaned quills, which merge at the discharging ends of the guides opposite the nip of the said feed-rolls 34 and 34 The tubular guides 33 and 39 are preferably secured to the bed-plate 3 in a manner to render them capable of accurate positioning relatively to each other and to the parts which they connect by means of base-flanges 33 and 39*, extending laterally therefrom and secured to the base-plate, as by screws 40 and 41, respectively. The two cleaned halves of the quill which meet at the convergent end of the channelgu1des 33 and 39, pass thence one partially in advance of the other, into and through a further tubular guide 42, located. beyond the feed-rolls 34 and 34*, with its longitudinal axis substantially tangential to the contacting peripheries of said feed-rolls. The guide 42 is adjustably secured to the bed-plate by means of a slotted laterally-projecting base-flange 42, through which passes a set-screw 43. One roll of each of the several pairs of feed-rolls above described is preferably mounted in an adjustable bearing-' block set in and constituting, essentially, a part of the main bed-plate of the machine,

'for the purpose of nicely adjusting the spacing of the companion rolls of each pair and their grip on the stock passed between. them. For instance, the roll 26 is mounted in a block 44, rendered adjustable toward and from the companion roll 21 by an adjusting-screw 45. The rolls 37 a and 26 are mounted in a similar bearing-block 46, rendered adjustable toward and from the companion rolls .37 and 21, respectively, by an adjusting-screw 47, and, similarly, feed-roll 34 is mounted in a bearing-block 48, adjustable horizontally toward and from the companion roll 34 by means of an adjusting-screw 49.

In order to prevent clogging of the operating parts by the excised material represented chiefly by the removed pith, I preferably provide means adjacent to the pith-cutters 28 and 28 for producing a suction effect for the removal of such waste material as fast as it is separated from the shell. The means herein shown for this purpose consists of a suction-tube 50, connected atone end with a suitable exhaust-fan (not shown) and at its other end with the outer end of a channel 51, cored in the bed-plate 3 and terminating in the space immediately adjacent to the cutter 28. From the space immediately surrounding the periphery of the companion cutter 28* a branch suction-duct 52 leads around and beneath the front portion of the machine to a junction with the main suction-conduit 50, all as clearly shown in Fi 2. A constant suction being maintaine through the pipes 50 and 52, the chips and dust are drawn away as fast as formed.

From the guide 42 the split quills pass to the action of the fibering mechanism, which splits the quills longitudinally into a mass of s ivers or fibers, which as they emer e from this mechanism are divided into a plurality of bundles, each of which is led away separately to and through a mechanism which wraps a thread therearound to bind them into a continuous cord. This fibering mechanism consists, generally speaking, of two stacks of superposed rotary cutting-disks separated by alternate stationary washers, which serve the double function of spacing the cutting-disks so that the edges of one series slightly overlap the proximate edges of the other series and of cleaning the cutting disks and preventing the accumulation of fine particles of the material therebetween. The construction of this mechanism will be readily understood by reference to the detail views, Figs. 15 to 26, inclusive, wherein 53 and 54 designate a pair of vertical shafts rotatably mounted in the bed 3 beyond and to either side of the discharge end of the guide 42, said shafts having keys 53 and 54, respectively. To either side of said shafts are mounted in the bed pairs of posts 55 and 56,

respectively. On the shaft 53 is mounted, first, a washer 57 and above the same a series of alternately-disposed circular cutting-disks 58 and spacers or cleaners 59. On the companion shaft 54 is mounted, first, a washer 60 and above the latter a corresponding series of alternately-disposed cutter-disks 61 and spacers or cleaners 62. Directly above the lowermost cutters on the shafts 53 and 54 is mounted what I term the lower partition-plate, the same being shown in detail in Figs. 16 to 20, inclusive. This member consists of a pair of symmetrical flat wings 59* and 62*, which correspond in form and .tending point 64, which lies between the adj acent sides of the wings 59 and 62 The bridge also has on its upper surface an upstanding narrow V-shaped wall 65, thereby creating a pair of outwardly-divergent chan nels 66 and 67.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. 18. 19, and 20 that the wing 62 is mounted the thickness of one of the cutter-disks lower than the plane of the companion wing 59*. This is in accordance with the general arrangement of the cutters and spacers throughout the stack wherein the cutters on one side lie in the horizontal planes of the spacers on the other, thus allowing the overlapping of the adjacent edges of the cutter-disks.

At substantially mid-height of the stack is interposed what 1 term the upper partitionplate. This is shown in detail in Figs. 22 to 25, inclusive, and consists, like the lower partition-plate, of a pair of symmetrically-disposed wings 59 and 62*, connected by a bridge 68. The form and construction of this latter are here illustrated in top plan in Fig. 22 and in bottom plan in Fig. 23, wherein it will be seen that this bridge also has a sharp inwardly-extending point 69 lying between the adjacent sides of the wings 59 and 62 The formation of the under side of this plate adapts it to seat directly upon the upper surface of the wall of the lower partition-plate while its upper surface is formed to present a'pair of outwardly-divergent-channel-guides 70 and 71 leading off from the apex 72 of a vertical dividing-wall constituting the upright walls of the channels 70 and 71. The several cutting-disks 58 and 61 are keyed on the shafts 53 and 54, respectively, and rotate therewith, while the spacing-washers. as also the wings of the lower and upper partitionplates, are provided with apertures by which they fit over the posts 55 and 56 as well as with central apertures sufiiciently large to fit over the shafts 53 and 54 and the keyfeathers thereon, from which it will be understood that the spacers and partition-plates are held against rotation. Comparatively thick washers 73 and 74 overlie the two stacks of cutters, respectively, which latter are clamped with the requisite pressureto insure a clean shearing action between the cooperating edges of the cuttingdisks by nuts 75 and 76, retained by locking-nuts 77 and 78, respectively, screwed down on the upper ends of the shafts 53 and 54.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the upper surface of the base-plate of the bridge 63 in association with the wall 65 on one side and the edges of the interposed spacers and wings of the lower partition-plate make up adjacent edges of the superposed spacers make up the widely divergent channels which divide vertically the upper half of the iibered stock and guide the separated portions away in substantially opposite directions.

From the fibering mechanism last described the divided sections of the fibered stock pass off to and through a series of winders which wind about them a binding cord or thread. These winders, which are duplicates of each other and are positioned on the table 1 at suitable relative angles to receive the several sections, are each mounted on a post 79, secured at its base by the cl amping-bolt 80, operating in a slot 81 of a hori zontal foot 81 in such a manner as to be adjustable in the direction of its length toward and from the fibering mechanism. The post 79 has rotatably mounted on a tubular shaft projecting inwardly from a bracket 82, connected to its upper end, a pulley 83, on the inner face of which are mounted spools 84, carrying the winding-thread 85. Attached to the inner face of each pulley 83 concentrically therewith and in alinement with its tubular shaft is an inwardly-projecting tube 86,which extends into close proximity to the several discharging-channels of the fibering mechanism, being preferably outwardly flared or enlarged at their inner ends, as shown at 86 to facilitate the entrance of the stock. to be wound. The threads 85 from the spools are threaded through small. holes 87 in the tube 86 just in rear of the enlargement 86 thereof. On the upper end of the post 79 is mounted, side by side, a pair of gripping and feeding rolls 88 and 89, Fig. 13, the function of which is to grip. the wound cord, draw it through the winders, and pass it on to the receivingreels One of these rolls (88, as herein shown) is fast on the upper end of ash aft 90, rotatably mounted in the head of the post 79, said shaft extendingdownwardly through a bearing in the table 1, Fig. 3. The roll 88 carries on its upper end a small gear 91 which meshes with a small gear 92 on the companion roll 89 and drives the latter; In order to separate said rolls when desired, the roll 89 is made adjustable toward and from its comp anion driving-roll 88 by being mounted on a short vertical shaft 93, that is set in a horizontally-slidable block 94, inwardly pressed by a spring 95, carried in a laterally-projecting casing 96. T o force the block 94 outwardly, a small crank-arm 97, Fig. 14, is mounted in side 97" bearing against the latter. By giving the crank-arm 97 a quarter-turn the block 94 is forced outwardly in an obvious manner, thus separating the rolls.

From the winders the wound strips may be carried to and received upon any suitable receiving-reels or spools, the mechanism herein shown for this purpose being as follows: In a pair of bracket-arms 98, secured to and extending rear'wardly from the table 1, is journaled a reel-shaft 99, Fig. 12, carrying on one overhanging end a grooved pulley 100, by which it is driven. Keyed on this shaft are a series of friction-disks 101 and 102, and loosely mounted on the same between said disks are a series of receiving-spools 103. One head of each spool is crowded against the respective disks 101 by means of a coil-spring 104, which at one end thrusts against the other head of the spool, its opposite end having an adjustable abutment against the disk 102, whereby the thrust of the spring may beregulated to secure the required frictional effect between the opposite head of the spool and its cooperating friction driving-disk 101. By adjusting the tension of the springs 104 the required degree of drag may be imparted to the spools to create such a tension on the strips wound thereon as will serve to lay the material in close and compact order, yet without danger of interrupting the continuity of the strip at any stage in its passage through the machine. in order to lay the strips in close and uniform coils, I have shown merely a well-known type of coiling mechanism consisting of a sleeve 105, siidable longitudinally on a rod 106, supported parallel with and beyond the receiving-spools, this sleeve carrying a series of grooved pulleys 107, one for each spool over which the wound strips are passed and having at one end the usual tongue 108, that rides back and forth in a right and left hand thread formed on one end of the shaft 106.

Thus far I have described the various mechanisms and instrumentalities that perform the successive operations upon the material treated, transforming it from stripped quills at the start to continuous uniform strips or cords of the fibered shells of the quills. I will now briefly describe the mechanism by which the several operating parts already described are given their respective movements and caused to perform their respective functions in the operation of the machine.

Referring first to Figs. 3, 5, and 7, horizontally journaled upon the table 1 and beneath the bed 3 is the main driving-shaft of the machine, (designated by 109,) which shaft carries on its overhanging end a grooved pulley 110, receiving motion from a belt 111, herein shown as driven from a pulley 112 on an overthe head of the post opposite the inner end of head shaft 113, suspended by hangers 114 the block 94 and provided with a flattened from the ceiling.

This shaft 109 has formed thereon a worm 115, running upon an oil tablower end of the shaft 54, whereby the right hand set of cutters is driven at the same rate of speed and in the opposite direction to the rotation of the left-hand set of cutters.

Referring next particularly to Figs. 11 and i 2, the former of which shows in diagram the gears underlying the bed 3 and driving the various movable parts mounted above said bed shown in Fig. 2, the gear 118 drives an idler-gear 120, which in turn drives a gear 121 on the lower end of the shaft 35 of the feedroll 34. Gear 121 drives a companion gear 122 on the lower end of the shaft 35" of the companion feed-roll 34 and it also drives a large idler 123, which drives a gear 124 on the lower end of the shaft 20 of the flattened quill-feeding disk 19, gear 124 driving a companion gear 125 on the lower end of the shaft 20" of the companion quill-feeding disk 19. The idler-gear 123 also drives a gear 126 on the lower end of the shaft 22 of the feed-roll 21, and the gear 126 drives a companion gear 127 on the lower end of shaft 22 of the companion feed-disk 21 Three small intermeshing gears 128, 129, and 130, on the lower ends of feed-roll shafts 27, 38, and 38, respectively, drive the several feedrolls 26, 37, and 37*, respectively, while a small gear 131 on the lower end of shaft 27 a drives the feed-roll 26 The pith-cutters 28 and 28, being required to rotate at a high rate of speed, are preferably and as herein shown independently driven, the means for such purpose consisting of pulleys 132 and 133, fast on the lower ends of the shafts 32 and 32 of said cutters, engaged by independent driving-belts 134 and 135, Figs. 3, 5, and 7, driven from pulleys 136 and 137 on the overhead shaft 113, said belts being guided around a pair of end pulleys 138 and 139 and an intermediate double-grooved pulley 140, all suitably mounted on a pair of standards 141, secured to the table 1.

Referring next to the means for driving the series of winders, 142 and 143 designate a pair of double-grooved pulleys fast on the main shaft 109, the former of which, by belts 144 and 145 and suitable idler guide-pulleys 146, drive the pulleys 83 of the two intermediate winders, while the latter, through belts 147 and 148, Fig. 1, and suitable idler guidepulleys 149, drive the corresponding pulleys of the two outside or lateral winders.

For the purposes of driving the several sets of feed-rolls 88 and 89, which draw the wrapped-strips through the winders, I provide on the lower end of the shaft 53 of the fibering mechanism beneath the table 1 a 'the way of its operating parts.

master-gear 150, Fig. 6, which through the train of gears indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 drives the several shafts of the feed rolls 88, this train of gearing being as follows: On one side the master-gear 150 meshes with an idler-gear 151, which in turn meshes with and drives an outside and intermediate gear 152 and 153 on the lower ends of the two roll-shafts 90 on one side of the machine. On the other side the master-gear similarly drives an idler 154, which in turn meshes with and drives an outside and intermediate gear 155 and 1.56, respectively, on the lower ends of the roll-shafts 90 on the opposite side of the machine.

The reel-shaft 99 is driven by an endless belt 157 engaging the pulley and receiving its motion from a horizontal pulley 158, fast on the lower face of the master-gear 150, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, the two sections of said belt being guided around idler guidepulleys 159 and 160, secured to the under side of the table 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The shaft 113 of the overhead driving mechanism (which latter it will be understood does not constitute any essential part of the present machine, but is intended merely to illustrate a convenient means for applying power thereto) is provided, as shown in Fig. 7, with fast and loose pulleys 161 and 1.62, respectively, engaged by a belt 163, driven from any suitable source of power, an ordinary belt-shifter 164, operated by a depending lever 165, being employed to shift the belt for starting and stopping the machine.

In some cases it is found desirable, although not necessary, to provide a continuous central core for the several wound strips produced by the machine. For this purpose I have shown the present machine as equipped with a thread guide 166, consisting of a horizontally-extending bar on the upper end of and preferably integral with a standard 167, secured on the front end of the table or platform 1,said bar having a series of slotted thread-guides 168, Fig. 4, to receive and support corethreads 169 led therethrough from a series of spools, (not shown,) which may be mounted on any suitable support sufficiently in advance of the machine-frame to be out of From the guide 166 the threads extend above the operating parts of the machine directly into the mouths of the several winder-tubes 86 centrally of the fibered stock. The employment of such core-threads affords greater tensional strength to the wound or Wrapped strips in cases where special tensional strength is requisite or desired.

The operation of the machine has been to a considerable extent already indicated, but may be briefly recapitulated as follows: With the quill-depressing device in its lowest position, in which it rests upon the lateral extension of the bed 3, the stripped quills are stacked up in the quill-guide, after which the weighted quill-depressing device is elevated until the fingers 14 overlie the topmost quill, as shown in Fig. 2. Power being then applied by shifting the main driving-belt 163 to the tight pulley motion is communicated to the movable parts of the various cooperating mechanisms of the machine. Thereupon the quill-feed rolls 19 and 19 seize upon the low.- est quill and clamping it frictionally between their grooved peripheries advance the point of the quill through the throat 1 1 into the nip of the auxiliary feed-rolls 21 and 21 whence the point of the quill emerges upon the vertical cutting edge of the splitting-knife 23.

, From the latter one-half of the quill passes onto the right between the feed-rolls 21 and 26 and thence past the cutter 28, with its pith side engaged by the teeth of the latter, whereby the quill is thoroughly denuded. of the pith, the latter being drawn off as fast as it is separated through the suction-tube 50, the cleaned quill passing thence through .the channel-guide 33 into the nip of the feedrolls 34 and 34. The other half of the split quill passes to the left through the feed-rolls 21 and 26 past the pith-cutter 28*, where it is denuded of the pith, the latter being drawn away through the suction branch 52. Thence the cleaned section turns back on itself in the channel-guide 36, being thence further advanced by the auxiliary feed-rolls 37 and 37 into and through the channelguide 39, whence it emerges alongside of but approximately half its length in rear of its companion half-section of the quill. Meanwhile the quill-feed rolls 19 and 19 have seized upon the next lowermost quill and advanced the latter in close order through the same mechanism. In this manner cleaned quill-stock is passed through the feed-rolls 34 and 34 in successivehalf-shell sections so disposed that thejoints on one side are brought substantially opposite the longitudinal center of the half-shell sections on the other, thereby producing such an over lapping of the oints as produces a substan tial continuity in the stock considered as a whole and prevents any breaks or gaps therein. From the feed-rolls 34 34 the reunited sections of the quills pass side by side through the guide 42 into and through the fibering or slivering mechanism, wherein the shells are cut longitudinally into a series of comparati vely fine fibers or slivers, which being forced endwise upon the vertical dividing edges of the lower and upper partitionplates, as well as upon the horizontal dividing edge formed by the pointed central portion of the bridge of the upper partition-plate, is divided into four approximately equal sections, which are thence directed off through the angularly-dis posed guides of said partition-plates into and through the throats or mouths'of the tubular the 88 89 the wound cords as fast as formed are carried over the spoofing-guides 107 and then attached to the hubs of the spools, whereupon the frictional rotation of the latter serves to wind the finished cords thereupon with su'l'licient tensional effect to prevent slack between the spools and the drawing-rolls and lay the cords upon the spools as fast as they are delivered by the machine. The pull of the spools is regulable by proper adjustment of the collars 102, which determine the tension of the springs 104 on the spoofing-shaft, and consequently determine the degree of rotative frictional effect imparted to the spools by the collars 101..

Practically all of the several mechanisms which operate upon the stock are provided with means, as already described, whereby their speed and intimacy of contact with the stock may be nicely regulated and adjusted, this being important, since the relative movements of the several mechanisms must be accurately timed and slip between the stock and the parts engaging the same avoided in order to prevent both bunching or undue enlargement on the one hand and attenuation or interruption in. the continuity of the stock on the other and maintain the finished product of substantially uniform caliber.

It is evident that the machine as hereinabove described, and illustrated in the drawings, might be considerably modified in respect to the construction and relative dispo sition of the several operating parts, as well as by the substitution of mechanical equivalents, without departing from the spirit and principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. Hence I do not limit the invention to the particular mechanism shown and described'except to the extent indicatedin specific claims.

I claim' 1. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with mechanism for reducing the quills to a m ass of slivers or fibers, of a winding mechanism receiving the fibered mass from the fibering mechanism and wrapping a binding cord or tiiread around said mass, substantially as described.

2. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with meciianism for reducing the quills to a mass of fibers, of a winding mechanism receiving the fibered mass from the fibering mechanism and wrapping a bindingthread around said mass to form a cord, and gripping rolls serving to draw the cord through said winding mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with a mechanism for reducing the quills to a mass or fibers, of a winding mechanism receiving the mass and wrapping a binding-thread therearound to form a cord, gripping rolls serving to draw the cord through said winding mechanism, and means for winding said cord upon a suitable receiving-spool, substantially as described.

4. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with a mechanism for reducing the quills to a mass of fibers, of a winding mechanism receiving the fibered mass and wrapping a binding-thread therearound to form a cord, a receiving-spool on which said cord is wound, and means for frictionally driving said receiving spool, substantially as described.

5. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with means for reducing the quills to a plurality of separated bundles of slivers or fibers, of means adapted to receive said bundles and apply a suitable winding about each of the same, substantially as described.

6. In a quilltreating machine, the combi nation with means for reducing the quills to a plurality of separated bundles of slivers or fibers, of a corresponding plurality of winders adapted to receive said bundles and wind about each of them a binding-thread, sub stantially as described.

7. In a quill-treating machine, the combi nation with means for reducing the quills to a mass of slivers or fibers, and means located opposite the discharge-point of such fibering mechanism serving to divide the mass longitudinally, of means located adjacent to the discharging-points of such dividing mechanism serving to apply a suitable winding about each of the separated bundles to form a cord, substantially as described.

8. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with means for reducing the quills to a mass of slivers or fibers, and means located opposite the discharge-point of such fibering mechanism serving to divide the mass longitudinally, of a plurality of winders located adjacent to the discharging-points of such dividing mechanism and adapted respectively to receive the divided sections of the fibered stock and wind about each of them a binding-thread to form a cord, substantially as described.

9. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with means for reducing the quills to a mass of slivers or fibers, of means located opposite the discharge-point of such fibering mechanism serving to divide the mass longi tudinally, a plurality of winders located adjacent to the discharging-points of such dividing mechanism and serving to respectively wrap a binding-thread around the divided sections of the fibered stock to form a cord, and gripping-rolls serving to draw the fibered and wrapped cord through the winding mechanisms, substantially as described.

10. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with means for reducing the quills to a mass of slivers or fibers, of means located opposite the discharge-point of said fibering mechanism, serving to divide the mass longitudinally, a plurality of winders located adjacent to the discharging-points of said dividing mechanism and serving to respectively wrap a binding cord or thread around the divided sections of the fibered mass to form a cord, gripping-rolls serving to draw the cord through the winding mechanism, a series of receiving spools, means for winding said wrapped cord upon said spools, and means for frictionally driving said receiving-spools, substantially as described.

11. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with a fibering mechanism, of mechanism for dividing the fibered mass longitudinally into a series of separated sections, winders for wrapping a binding-thread around said sections to form a cord, and means forcoiling said wrapped sections upon suitable receiving-spools, substantially as described.

12. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with a fibering mechanism, of mechanism for dividing the fibered mass longitudinally into a series of separated sections, winders for wrapping a binding thread around said sections to form a cord, grippingrolls serving to draw the fibered and wrapped cord through the winders, and means for Winding said cords upon suitable receivingspools, substantially as described.

13. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with a mechanism for reducing the quills to a mass of fibers, of mechanism for dividing the mass longitudinally into a series of separated sections, winders for wrapping a binding-thread around said sections to form a cord of each, gripping-rolls serving to draw the fibered and wrapped cords through the several winders, respectively, a series of receivingspools, means for winding said cord upon said receiving-spools, and means for frictionally driving said receiving-spools, substantially as described.

14. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with mechanisms for splitting, cleaning, and fibering the quills, of means for dividing the mass of fibers formed from said quills longitudinally into a plurality of continuous bundles, a corresponding plurality of winders adapted to wrap a binding-thread around said bundles to form cords, a corresponding plurality of gripping-rolls serving to draw said cords through said winders, means for driving said fibering mechanism, and driving connections from the latter to said gripping-rolls, substantially as described.

15. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with mechanisms for splitting, cleaning, and fibering the quills, of means for dividing the mass of fibers longitudinally into a plurality of continuous bundles, a corresponding plurality of winders adapted to wrap a binding-thread around said bundles to form cords, a main driving-shaft, driving connections from said shaft to said fibering mechanism, and other driving connections from said. shaft to said winders, substantially as described.

16. In a quill-treating machine, the combination with two cooperating series of rotary fibering-disks for reducing the quills to a mass of fibers and operating-shafts on which they are mounted, feeding devices therefor, means for dividing the mass of fibers produced thereby into a plurality ofcontinuous bundles, a corresponding plurality of winders adapted to Wrap a binding-thread around said bundles to form cords, gripping-rolls serving to draw said bundles to form cords through said winders, a spooling-shaft, and a series of spools frictionally driven therefrom, of a main driving-shaft, driving connections therefromto a shaft of the fibering mechanism, driving connections from the latter to said quill-feeding devices, gripping-rolls, and spooling-shaft, and other driving connections from said main shaft to said winders, substantially as described.

17. In an organized mechanism for producing a fiber cord from quills, the combination of mechanism for splitting the quills, mechanism for depithing the split sections, mechanism for resplitting said split sections to produce the fiber, and mechanism for wrapping the fiber, substantially as described.

18. In an organized mechanism for producing a fiber cord from quills, the combination of mechanism for splitting the quills, mechanism for feeding the quills successively to said quill-splitting mechanism, mechanism for depithing the split sections, mechanisms for resplitting the said split sections to produce the fiber, and mechanism for wrapping the fiber to form cord, substantially as described.

19. In an organized mechanism for pro ducing a fiber cord from quills, thecombination of mechanism for splitting the quills, mechanism for depithing the split sections, mechanism for resplitting said split sections to produce the fiber, mechanism for dividing the fiber longitudinally, and mechanism for wrapping the divided sections of fiber to form cord, substantially as described.

20. In an organized mechanism for producing a fiber cord from quills, the combination of mechanism for splitting the quills, mechanism for feeding the quills successively to said quill-splitting mechanism, mechanism for depithing the split sections, mechanism for resplitting the said split sections to produce the fiber, mechanism for dividing the fiber longitudinally, and mechanism for wrapping the divided sections of fiber to form cords, substantially as described.

21. In an organized mechanism for producing a fiber cords from quills, the combination of mechanism for splitting the quills, mechanism for depithing the split sections, mechanism for effecting a longitudinal displacement of one section relatively to its companion section, mechanism for resplitting the said split sections to produce the fiber, and mechanism for wrapping the fiber, substantially as described.

22. In an organized mechanism for producing a fiber cord from quills, the combina-' tion of mechanism for splitting the quills, mechanism for de ithing the split sections, mechanism for efi cting a longitudinal dis placement of one section relatively to its companion section, mechanism for resplitting said split sections to produce the fiber, mechanism for dividing the fiber longitudinally, and mechanism for wrapping the di videdsections of fiber, substantially as described.

23. In a quill-treating machine, the combination of suitable means for supporting a stack of superimposed quills; yielding means for compressing the same toward the bottom of the stack; a pair of auxiliary feed-rolls arranged transversely of the stack, said feedrolls having flattened corresponding sides which permit the entry of a quill between the rolls from the bottom of the stack; feed-rolls for receiving and advancing the quill; a vertical knife arranged between and beyond the rolls against which the quill is delivered to split it into halves; roughened feed-rolls for grasping the halves of the quill, coacting with the feed-rolls at each side to advance the halves of the quill forwardly through the machine; suitable curved guides for receiving the respective halves of. the quill and guiding the same as it is advanced by the rollers, the saidcurved guides being each less in length than the length of the quill to be op erated upon; cutter-heads arranged to act against the pith sides of the said halves of the quill respectively; feed-rolls to engage the split quil and advance it forwardly to d e liver the halves together in overlap ing relation between suitable corrugated eed-rolls; corrugated feed-rolls'to advance the halves together; rotary slitting-knives intermeshing with each other for slitting the quill into a mass of fibers, arranged beyond the said corrugated feedrolls; dividingplates with passage-ways thereon for dividing the mass of quill fiber into bundles and distributing it at different points; suitable winders with projecting tubular throats arranged opposite the mouths of the delivery-passages to embrace the cord and wind the same; and suitable frictional devices for drawing the Iro 

